Yoga is over 5,000 years old. It is not a religion, it is a philosophy. Each person’s practice is as unique as the individual.
In our classes, we practice hatha yoga. “Ha” stands for sun, and “tha” stands for moon. Yoga is the joining of the body, mind and the spirit; that which has never been apart.
Central to yoga is the breath. Breathing practices I incorporate in classes include Ujahi breathing and Kapalbhati (breath of fire) breathing. Some of which involve a sequence of breaths and even using alternating nostrils.
I have had many excellent teachers, and am still learning from my yoga experiences of practice as well as teaching and will for the rest of my life. Yoga practice is my life and life is my yoga practice. Here are some precepts to consider:
- Trust in the infinite wisdom of your body.
- If it hurts, it is not yoga.
- Yoga is not about judgment, criticism or comparison; leave your ego at the door.
- Everyone starts in a different place.
- You bring a different body to yoga each time you come. Listen to and honor that body.
If some of these ideas don’t make sense, that’s O.K. Your body will understand and convince your mind when you do yoga, especially when yoga does you!
